‘Complete independence’ not possible sans stable economy
Army chief says ‘negative propaganda and social media trolls’ would not be able to distract from working towards the nation’s prosperity and development
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Friday said that complete independence was not possible without first achieving economic stability.
According to the Inter-services Public Relations (ISPR), the army chief made the remarks while addressing the Green Pakistan Initiative conference.
The federal government’s Green Pakistan Initiative is aimed at introducing the latest farming on 4.4 million acres of land across the country. The government is eyeing to fetch around $40 billion during the next five years through the agricultural initiative and hopes to create four million jobs through this process.
The initiative seeks to revolutionise agriculture with the help of the armed forces and the promised partnerships of friendly countries. It was inaugurated at the National Seminar on Food Security and Agriculture in July last year and Munir had assured the military’s full support of the initiative.
In his address, the army chief also said: “We are all a united team. God willing, with the cooperation and support of the people, the efforts of those who distract and obstruct Pakistan’s development journey will fail.”
He said “negative propaganda and social media trolls” would not be able to distract from working towards the nation’s prosperity and development.
“In today’s era, complete independence is not possible without economic stability,” he said.
“No instability will be tolerated in Pakistan’s journey towards prosperity and development,” he added.
He called on everyone to collectively reject “negative forces” and remain focused on the country’s path towards progress and stability.
In December, the army chief had assured farmers that the country wanted to focus on “agriculture first” to regain the lost glory of the Green Revolution, which once saw Pakistan being counted among Asia’s fastest growing economies.
Talking about the Green Pakistan Initiative, Munir had said that a major chunk of its revenue would go to the provinces, while the rest would be allocated to farmers and agricultural research.
Vowing to suppress all kinds of mafias, with the nation’s help, the army chief had revealed plans to make “agricultural malls” in all districts, where various facilities would be available for farmers.
Meanwhile, Central Laboratory for Environmental Analysis and Networking (CLEAN) of Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (PAK-EPA), known for its dedication to top-notch environmental analysis, announced the addition of advanced Inductively Coupled Plasma-optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) technology on Friday.
This new equipment upgrades and highlights PAK-EPA’S technical capability to monitor water quality of Islamabad and profile potential pollution sources, a news release said.
CLEAN is a leading environmental analysis facility in Pakistan, equipped with state-of-the-art analytical equipment, specialising in air, water, and soil analysis.
ICP-OES is a powerful tool used to detect and measure small amounts of elements and metals in various types of samples. It helps to explore different environmental materials with great accuracy and speed.
“Today marks a momentous occasion for PAK-EPA,” stated Farzana Altaf Shah, Director General of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency, alongside Dr Zaigham Abbas, Director of LAB/NEQS.
The acquisition of ICP-OES instrument revolutionises environmental analysis capabilities, enabling us to delve deeper into environmental samples and provide important information about pollution levels and environmental health.
ICP-OES is a versatile analytical technique for environmental analysis, detecting heavy metal contamination in soil, water, and air samples at levels as low as parts per billion (ppb).
It also analyses nutrient levels in agricultural and ecological samples and assesses metal content in industrial effluents. With its multielement capability, low detection limits, and wide dynamic range, ICP-OES offers efficient and sensitive analysis, making it indispensable for environmental research and management.